Rajiv Shah

Dr. Rajiv Shah led the efforts of nearly 10,000 staff in more than 70 countries around the world to advance USAID’s mission of ending extreme poverty and promoting resilient, democratic societies.

Under Dr. Shah’s leadership, USAID applied innovative technologies and engaged the private sector to solve the world’s most intractable development challenges. This new model of development brings together an increasingly diverse community—from large companies to local civil society groups to communities of faith—to deliver meaningful results.

Dr. Shah also managed the U.S. Government’s humanitarian response to catastrophic crises around the world, from the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

Through an extensive set of reforms called “USAID Forward,” Dr. Shah worked with the United States Congress to transform USAID into the world’s premier development Agency that prioritizes public-private partnerships, innovation, and meaningful results. He currently serves on the boards of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, as well as participates on the National Security Council.

Previously, Dr. Shah served as Undersecretary and Chief Scientist in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he created the National Institute for Food and Agriculture. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, he spent eight years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led efforts in global health, agriculture, and financial services, including the creation of the International Finance Facility for Immunization.

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, and the Wharton School of Business. He regularly appears in the media and has delivered keynote addresses before the U.S. Military Academy, the National Prayer Breakfast, and diverse audiences across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Dr. Shah was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He has served as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, been named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and has received multiple honorary degrees.

He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Shivam Mallick Shah and three children and has given up mountain climbing for family bicycle rides.

Since 2007, the United States has supported Somalia and its neighbors, first Uganda and Burundi, then Kenya and Djibouti, as Somali and AMISOM forces' efforts to drive al-Shabaab out of Somalia’s cities and towns. Throughout this time, the Somali people endured the unendurable—violence, fear, hunger, disease. But they also came together to build something—a new foundation that would anchor a stable future for Somalia.

As we reflect on what we have achieved and bring new ideas to the challenges still ahead, it’s important to remember that due to our collective follow-through on the commitments we made last year, to a fast and resolute humanitarian response and to help build resilience in the Sahel, we prevented a tragic situation from becoming much worse.

The United States continues to work through all possible channels to most effectively deliver aid. This includes working through the UN, NGO partners, local Syrian organizations and committees. Regardless of political affiliation, we are directing assistance to the most vulnerable people, and we are doing this in coordination with the Syrian Opposition Coalition.

When President Obama selected Raj Shah to be the leader of this organization, I knew instantly he'd picked somebody who understood this mission, who understood we also need to change a little bit, that we need to understand that we have to account clearly to our citizens in a time of tough budgets for all of the dollars we're spending in a very transparent and thorough way. We want to do that. But it also requires us to think creatively, sometimes out of the box, about how we may be able to deliver some of this in 21st century terms in ways that augment, multiply, when we don't have the same amount of resources we've had previously, but multiply the efforts in their return on that investment by creating greater investment opportunities, more jobs, building the economies. I think there are a lot of things that we can think about creatively together to help make that happen, and I'm convinced Raj Shah understands that, and I'm looking forward to working with him over these next years to help make that happen. We're going to get this job done.

At the Washington Call to Action, you announced that India will remain in the forefront of the global efforts against child mortality, acknowledging India’s potential to greatly reduce preventable child deaths. Today’s summit proves the commitment of India’s leaders to both the global community and the children of India. The U.S. Government is proud to be a part of this initiative, and we look forward to working with the Government of India on addressing critical child survival issues.

USAID is proud to be part of this new Commercial Farm Services Program, one of many projects we have here in Ethiopia that form part of the U.S. President’s Feed the Future Initiative. I am very pleased to see this group here today working together to achieve our common goals: to provide smallholder farmers with the tools that enable them to earn a decent livelihood and contribute to the development of their country.

I am pleased to represent the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the American people today at the 2nd Annual Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) - Cooperatives Forum, supported by USAID’s Agribusiness Market Development (AMDe) activity.

Over three intense days we have seen how countries who have committed to reducing child mortality face great challenges and achieve progress by using proven cost–effective and high impact interventions, building health care delivery systems, working directly with and on the community level, investing in the education of girls and women, and by forging political will and determination. These improvements in maternal, infant, and child health are critical for overall development of nations.

Since the Legislative Research Program began more than a year ago, USAID has worked with the to strengthen the capacity to provide National Assembly members and staff with greater in-depth information and analysis on critical laws and policies.

The U.S. Government launched the EC-LEDS initiative more than two years ago to support developing country-led efforts to accelerate their economic growth, achieve their development goals, and address climate change. Vietnam was one of our first partners and we are privileged to work with you in this endeavor.